US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said the new programme of injecting soldiers with extra hormones would keep the US army 'on the leading edge of lethality'10:45, 16 Jul 2026The US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced a bizarre new plan for ensuring all soldiers in the US army are "high testosterone".‌Former Fox News personality Hegseth said he would launch a new screening programme for service members “ensuring you have the right testosterone”.‌In a nearly three-minute video Hegseth outlined his plan for a "High-T" Department of War" with army personnel over 30 would be screened for testosterone levels which “often naturally drop” as we age.‌"At the Department of War, we have the most elite warriors on the face of the Earth," he said in the clip. "Every single day, you are pushed to your absolute physical and mental limits to master the profession of arms.""We demand your all, and you give it. But while we invest heavily in our weapons systems, platforms, and gear, our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter."Content cannot be displayed without consent‌He said the testosterone screening plan was part of the US "sacred duty to maintain that advantage. Which is why we must constantly look for new ways to optimize your performance, your resilience, and your long-term health."To this end Hegseth said he was "authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best."He explained it was "well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop." Therefore for any army personnel over 30 the new testosterone check would be part of their annual health assessment.‌For younger soldiers under the age of 30 the test would not be mandatory but they could choose to take it and he said "If treatment is recommended, it's entirely your choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy."The new programme of injecting soldiers with extra hormones was all about "restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight."‌Giving soldiers more testosterone would keep the army "on the leading edge of lethality,” Hegseth promised in the clip.The plans have drawn comparisons to gender-affirming care in the trans community, which sees some people use testosterone to align their physical traits with their gender identity. This drew mockery due to Trump-ally Hegseth’s widely publicised anti-trans views."This sounds weirdly gender affirming," one person wrote.‌"Sure, dude," another person wrote, sharing a video of Hegseth seemingly struggling to lift weights and perform other exercises."So basically, we're providing 'gender-affirming care' so 'warfighters' can become the sex they were born," a third person wrote.When asked what conditions Hegseth was looking to address with the new policy, the Pentagon referred to Hegseth’s remarks in the video that mentioned keeping troops “strong, resilient and capable” and that the rigors of the modern battlefield demand “maximum psychological and mental readiness.”‌Over the past several years, special operations troops — and specifically Navy SEALs — have come under scrutiny for their use of testosterone and similar substances to enhance performance.The death of a SEAL recruit during training in 2022 led to a discovery of substances in his possession, including testosterone, and revealed far more rampant drug use among the elite program than was previously acknowledged.A year after the recruit’s death, the Navy said it would begin a drug-testing program to screen for “any hormonal substance, chemically or pharmacologically related to testosterone, that promotes muscle growth.”Article continues belowHegseth said his new initiative is “not about artificial enhancement.”When asked whether both male and female troops would be tested, and if female troops would be evaluated for oestrogen levels as they enter perimenopause, the Pentagon said it had no further comment beyond Hegseth's statements.